Petunia plant named ‘AK101’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘AK101’, characterized by its compact and trailing plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching and flowering plant habit; long flowering period; small double red purple-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘AK101’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petuniaplant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘AK101’.

The new Petunia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Miyazaki-shi, Miyazaki, Japan. Theobjective of the breeding program is to create new compact Petuniaplants with attractive double flowers.

The new Petunia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in June, 2006 in Miyazaki-shi, Miyazaki, Japan of two unnamedproprietary selections of Petunia×hybrida. The new Petunia plant wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plantwithin the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlledenvironment in Miyazaki-shi, Miyazaki, Japan in March, 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia plant by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Miyazaki-shi, Miyazaki, Japan since April,2007, has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia plant arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Petunia have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature,daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘AK101’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘AK101’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofPetunia:

-   -   1. Compact and trailing plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely branching and flowering plant habit.    -   4. Long flowering period.    -   5. Small double red purple-colored flowers.    -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the female parentselection. Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of thefemale parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are more trailing than and not as        upright as plants of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia have shorter internodes than plants        of the female parent selection.    -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Petunia have more petals than        flowers of plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the male parentselection. Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of themale parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia have shorter internodes than plants        of the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia and the male parent selection        differ in flower type as plants of the male parent selection        have single flowers.    -   3. Plants of the new Petunia and the male parent selection        differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection        have purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia can also be compared to plants of the Petunia‘Bluette Rose Vivid Pink’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Miyazaki-shi, Miyazaki, Japan, plants of the new Petuniaand ‘Bluette Rose Vivid Pink’ differed primarily in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia were more compact than plants of        ‘Bluette Rose Vivid Pink’.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia had shorter lateral branches than        plants of ‘Bluette Rose Vivid Pink’.    -   3. Plants of the new Petunia were more freely flowering than        plants of ‘Bluette Rose Vivid Pink’.    -   4. Flowers of plants of the new Petunia had more petals than        flowers of plants of ‘Bluette Rose Vivid Pink’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Petunia plant, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Petunia plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘AK101’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalflowers of ‘AK101’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in 15-cm containers in Higashiomi,Shiga, Japan, under commercial practice during the late spring and earlysummer in an outdoor nursery with day temperatures averaging 23° C. andnight temperatures averaging 13° C. Plants were four months old when thephotographs and description were taken. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida ‘AK101’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Petunia×hybrida, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Petunia×hybrida, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About eight days at            temperatures of 30° C. to 35° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About twelve days at            temperatures of 20° C. to 22° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 15 days            at temperatures of 30° C. to 35° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 20 days            at temperatures of 20° C. to 22° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact and trailing plant habit;            freely branching habit with numerous lateral branches            developing per plant; pinching enhances lateral branch            development; vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 13 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 42.8 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 23.2 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 2.4 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Strength.—Strong, flexible.        -   Aspect.—Decumbent.        -   Texture.—Pubescent.        -   Color.—Close to 143C.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.        -   Length.—About 4.9 cm.        -   Width.—About 2 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Cuneate to obtuse.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; reticulate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            Close to 137C; venation, close to 144B. Developing and fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B; venation,            close to 144B.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 7.5 mm. Diameter: About 2.3 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper            and lower surfaces: Close to 144B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Double flowers arising from            leaf axils; freely flowering habit with usually about 77            open flowers per plant; flowers face upright to outwardly.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Early flowering habit, plants of            the new Petunia initiate and develop flowers about three to            four weeks after planting; long flowering period, flowering            commences naturally during the spring and plants flower            continuously throughout the summer until late autumn in            Japan.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about seven to ten            days on the plant; flowers persistent.        -   Flower diameter.—About 3.9 cm.        -   Flower length (depth).—About 2.6 cm.        -   Tube diameter, base.—About 4.8 mm.        -   Tube length.—About 1.6 cm.        -   Flower bud.—Shape: Cylindrical. Length: About 2.2 cm.            Diameter: About 7.6 mm. Color: Close to 76D; venation, close            to N77C.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement: About 50 petals arranged in four to            five whorls and fused at the base. Petal length from throat:            About 0.4 cm to 1.5 cm. Petal width: About 0.2 cm to 2.2 cm.            Petal shape: Spatulate. Petal apex: Acute to cuspidate.            Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Throat texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Tube texture: Pubescent. Color: Petal, when            opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to N74A;            venation, close to N74A. Petal, when opening and fully            opened, lower surface: Close to 75C; venation, close to N77C            or 148A. Throat: Close to 76D; venation, close to N77C.            Tube: Close to 76D; venation, close to N77C.        -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five            sepals fused at the base per flower. Sepal length: About            1.1 cm. Sepal width: About 1.2 mm. Sepal shape: Lanceolate.            Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, immature and            mature, upper surface: Close to 137A. Color, immature and            mature, lower surface: Close to 137B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 1.2 mm.            Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright to outwardly. Texture:            Pubescent. Color: Close to 143C with reddish tinting.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: None to            five per flower. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther size:            About 1 mm by 2.1 mm. Anther color: Close to 11D. Pollen            amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 11D. Pistils:            Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Style            color: Close to 144D. Stigma shape: Transversely            ellipsoidal. Stigma color: Close to 144D. Ovary color: Close            to 144A.        -   Seeds/fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed on plants of the new Petunia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to    have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C.-   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia    plants.

1. A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘AK101’ as illustrated anddescribed.